Archos AV400 - Portable video player done right?


howard@m-ph.comDuring my early Pocket PC using days, I used to spend countless hours converting short video clips so I can view them on my PPC while on the go, after a few months, I got tired of it as it was really a chore to convert movies and I found out that watching movies with 20 frames per second on a small screen wasn’t really that enjoyable. Convinced that portable movies was just a passing fancy, I removed every movie player on my Pocket PC, bought an iPod, and along with thousands of music fanatics, started prophesizing Steve Job’s credo of digital music utopia. Now comes along the Archos AV400, and things just got a bit more interesting.

Archos AV400There are a lot of things to like about the Archos AV400 it sports an uber cool industrial design, has a very nice TFT LCD screen, has the ability to record video from any analogue and digital source like TVs, Video cameras and VHS/Betamax players, and can double as an MP3/WMA music player. But the Archos AV400 is significantly bigger and heavier than an iPod which can be a major turn off to people who are peculiar about weight and portability.

Is the Archos AV400 good enough to convince a portable video player skeptic like me that it’s concept is viable? The jury is still out. Watch out for my review of the Archos AV400 in the upcoming issue of m|ph magazine.

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July 24th, 2004
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
jayvee
Posted on:
7/25/2004 at 5:11 pm

in reference to my previous post … SEE WHAT I MEAN? i love the archos!

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Carlo Guerrero
Posted on:
7/27/2004 at 10:05 am

@Howard: I remember pretty well when I too would spend time to encode files
for the Pocket PC for portable viewing. Those days are gone already. I mean
those time consuming chores of converting files and all.

With the latest version of Windows Media Player, Movie Maker 2, and Media
Encoder 9, codecs for the Pocket PC are already included. If one still needs to
tweak them, it’s a simple thing to do. There is also Plus! Sync & Go for the
Pocket PC which automatically transfers audio and video content from the Windows
Media Player on the PC and from the Web to the Pocket PC.

I think, in a similar fashion, the AV400 and the real Portable Media Centers
can now be synched easily to the PC for easy file transfer.

An ideal situation would be to have a PC, preferrably a WinXP MCE 2004 box,
where late night shows, or any show for that matter, are recorded automatically
and synched to the device each morning for portable viewing. But then again…
this is only one situation… I guess more people can come up with what they
think can be a good reason to purchase a device such as this…

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
iBernie
Posted on:
7/27/2004 at 1:17 pm

But anything bigger than the GMini is not as portable… The iPod may seem huge when placed beside the gmini but then again… its an iPod. =)

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
jayvee
Posted on:
7/27/2004 at 2:13 pm

@bernie: well, some guys like it BIG :D

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Carlo Guerrero
Posted on:
7/27/2004 at 2:27 pm

@iBernie: So you prefer having an iPod for viewing videos too??? ;-)

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
iBernie
Posted on:
7/27/2004 at 5:18 pm

@jayvee: I like do like it big — that’s why I’m still smitten with my iPod

@carlo: my eyesight is already bad as it is… I’d very much prefer to watch video on my TeeVee =)

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
iBernie
Posted on:
7/27/2004 at 5:20 pm

…and in reference to my comment on Jayvee’s “4 gen of zen”, why settle for a balisong when you can get a katana?

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
Grace
Posted on:
10/9/2004 at 8:01 am

Archos420 is simply the best gadget in town today! It’s my new baby! No problem with this gadget - my kids enjoyed watching “Shrek 2″ and a lot of disney movies..the resolution is excellent, the music and photos too!Having this gadget is all about convenience, mobility and portability! Great gadget, huh!!!